A single photographer needs to leave Homer a bit early (due to new, even more restrictive travel rules for Canadian citizens). This opens up two (or possibly three) pro-rated (with a late-registration discount) days on my 2022 eagle boat. This would seem to be a great opportunity for folks living in Anchorage or elsewhere in Alaska, or for folks who will be visiting the region soon. Please contact me via e-mail to staffbaa@att.net or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. See below for details.
I had another good chance on the baby Bald Eagle sitting up in the nest on Friday morning. It seemed to have grown in a single day. Because of two delayed-by-bad-weather FedEx flights and an additional screw-up by Federal Express, I will not be able to share the whole gory laptop story with you here until this coming Tuesday. If my old computer is returned today — it has been upgraded to Saturday delivery, I may or may not have access to my samandmayasgrandpa@att.net e-mail today. There are often many related inconveniences after you shoot yourself in the foot. 🙂
After last week’s cold snap, it has been ridiculously warm here; yesterday’s high temperature was 86 degrees! I’ve been getting in the pool every day recently and doing my usual 44 lengths (1/2 mile). With a mildly injured right wing (shoulder), I have been doing lots of kicking and little actual swimming. I enjoyed a still, gorgeous sunset last night but there were very few birds.
That brings us to today, Saturday 5 February 2022. The forecast for today, and for the next ten days as well — until I leave for Anchorage early on the 15th, is calling for cloudy, cooler (but not cold) days, with the winds predominately from somewhere out of the north. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes 84 days in a row with a new one.
Please remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
This image was made with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. Not bad for Canon 🙂
Bald Eagle top shot sunset silhouette
IPT Daily Schedules
Whenever folks on an IPT ask, “What’s today’s schedule?,” I chuckle. Why? Aside from the time and place to meet, the daily schedule on an IPT s never set in stone. We are always flexible depending on the sky conditions and the wind direction. Though I always have a plan, such plans are changed often in response to the conditions. At Kachemak Bay, the weather can change in a moment so are often changing the schedule during the day. When the chances are for sun in the afternoon, we will usually try to arrange things so that we are in place for some sunset silhouette opportunities, as seen in the image above.
As everyone almost always under-exposes colorful sky silhouettes, be sure to expose to the right by adding more light than you think you need and ignoring the RED channel of the in-camera histogram.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
Pro-rated/Late Registration Discounted DAYs on the Second 2022 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT
IPT #2: SAT 26 & SUN 27 FEB 2022: $900.00 per day (reduced from $1,100/day). (Friday 25 FEB is possible offering the chance for a 3-DAY IPT) This trip features non-stop flight photography as well as many opportunities to create point-blank portraits of one of North America’s most sought-after avian subjects: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).
Also featured are a professional leader, often referred to as the world’s most knowledgeable bird photography trip leader who is conversant in Canon, Nikon, and SONY. You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic image designs, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will actually learn to be a better photographer.
The best and most creative boat captain.
A sturdy, spacious, sea worthy, open-deck craft.
The only Bald Eagle workshop with an incredibly helpful, full time, professional first mate.
Small group Photoshop, Image Review, and Image critiquing sessions.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
What’s Included
One four hour or two two-hour boat trips every day (weather permitting), all boat fees and boat-related expenses (excluding tips), ground transportation to and from the dock and back to the hotel each day, in-the-field instruction and guidance, pre-trip gear advice, small group post-processing and image review sessions, and a thank you dinner for all well-behaved participants.
What’s Not Included
Your airfare (if necessary) to and from Homer, AK (via Anchorage), the cost of your room at Land’s End Resort, all personal items, all meals and beverages, and tips for the boat captain and/or the first mate.
Please Note
On great days, the group may wish to photograph for more than four hours. If the total time on the boat exceeds 8 hours for two pro-rated days or 12 hours for three pro-rated days, you will share the additional expense at a rate of $225/hour.
Deposit Information
Payment in full is due now via credit card or by personal check made out to BIRDS AS ART and sent to us via US mail.
In Closing
I have been going to Homer off and on for close to two decades. Every trip has been nothing short of fantastic. Many folks go in mid-March. The earlier you go, the better the chances for snow. The only way to assure that you are on the best of the two trips is to sign up for both. If you have any questions or are good to go for one or for both trips, please get in touch via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
On Thursday morning I photographed a Turkey Vulture, a Sandhill Crane, and the young Bald Eagle in the nest. To say that the eaglet has grown incredibly fast would be a big understatement. Sunset was not bad with some nice sky color. Stay tuned for the news on the attempted data recovery. The whole gory story will be detailed in tomorrow’s blog post.
I was glad to learn that all three of Mark Hardymon’s listed Sony items sold very quickly, as did Peter Noyes’ a7R iv. If you need to get in touch with me before I get my laptop back and running, please shoot an e-mail to staffbaa@att.net with the “ATTN: artie” as the Subject Line. Or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372.
Today is Friday 4 February 2022. The forecast of for clear and sunny with a southeast breeze. Needless to say, I headed down to the lake early. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about ninety minutes to prepare and makes 83 days in a row with a new one.
Please remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Sony Alpha 1 Bodies in Stock at Bedfords/free card offer!
Steve Elkins of Bedfords let me know recently that he had several Sony a1 bodies in stock. If one of them has your name on it, please click here and be sure to enter the BIRDSASART coupon code check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. Right now, in lieu of the 3% credit refunded to the card you used for your purchase, you will receive a Sony 160GB CFexpress Type A TOUGH Memory Card, a $399.99 value!
Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 24 January 2022 at La Jolla, CA. I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 708mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 640. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead solid-perfect: 1/640 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:14:17am on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to view the high-res version.
Image #1: Brown Pelicans tandem bathing
My #1 Pick. And Why.
In the Four Very Excellent Reasons to Add the Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter to the Sony 200-600/a1 Combo blog post here, I wrote:
Which of today’s four featured images is the strongest? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice. I feel that two of the images are far stronger than the other two, and of those two, I have a very clear favorite. Comments on the two best are of course welcome.
When I saw the short series of images of the two bathing pelicans, I thought, “This is a Rembrandt.” I got to see The Night Watch (or The Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq) 1642, oil on canvas, on display at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam while on a tulip photography IPT. If you are at all interested in art, you can learn about the very interesting history of this painting here.
The colors (to some degree) and the somber mood and the tonalities in Image #1 are — to me, quite reminiscent of those in The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, the only seascape Rembrandt ever painted. (Click on the image file to close it.)
In addition, I love that there are two birds bathing side by side and splashing at the same time. It’s a plus that the two pelicans are just about parallel to each other; in the frames that followed the first one, the second bird turned away. Note also, that though images created when you are shooting down at a steep angle are not supposed to work, all who commented chose Image #1 as the best of the four. And I agree completely.
This image was created on 24 January 2022 at La Jolla, CA. I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:42:57am on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to view the high-res version.
Image #4: Brown Pelican in mega-breeding plumage/preening head portrait
My Second Favorite. And Why.
Simply put, Image #2 defines the classic BIRDS AS ART style: clean, tight, and graphic (with a ton of dramatic color as well). And I just love the shade of the Pacific-blue background.
SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. Last week, two folks in the group ordered a third a1! I am envious. The group is now up to an astounding 104 lucky and blessed folks. Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that all who wish, can request an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. I finally finished the consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE and distributed it yesterday. New a1 folks will now receive three e-mails instead of the previous 28! It is a lot easier on me and is an incredible resource for folks new to the a1.
All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info & Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Stick Marsh was better than expected. Just before sunrise there were about 20 Roseate Spoonbills on the North Rookery Island. Most of those birds flew off at about 7:15am. Soon thereafter, there were spoonies flying in and out until about 8:15am. The birds were displaying, courting, and pulling leaves (but not sticks or branches). They seemed not to be disturbed at all by the big construction project. All in all, I would say that things are looking good for a successful breeding season. I finally heard from FWC and will share some good info when I get my laptop back. I worked on the tripod at 1200mm and likely got at least one really good flight image.
Today is Thursday 3 February. The forecast for this morning is for clear skies with a southeast breeze. I will be heading down to the lake early, keeping all of my images on a single card until I am back in business. The data recovery is on-going. I learned yesterday that my MacBook Pro will almost surely need to be repaired or replaced. If you need to get in touch with me before I get my laptop back and running, please shoot an e-mail to staffbaa@att.net with the “ATTN: artie” as the Subject Line. Or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about ninety minutes to prepare and makes 82 days in a row with a new one.
Please remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Songs About Love #1
Which song do you like best, Bette Midler’s The Rose?
Songs About Love #2
Or John Denver’s Perhaps Love (with Placido Domingo)?
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed very well in a difficult situation. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #2: Brown Pelican Pacific-race adult face portrait
My Favorite
The following appeared in the Clean, Tight, Graphic (and Abstract) blog post here:
I’ve made many hundreds of images like the one above over the past decade, but I’d never made one of a bird in the complete shade. Two things make this image very special to me. If you think that you know what they are, please leave a comment.
Like me, BPN member Kevin Hice liked Image #2 the best. He agreed that the matte gray background was superb. I am not sure if the background was water or the far cliff wall. In addition, I loved the unique combination of the single white feather and the smaller single gray feather on the top of the bird’s head.
This image was created on 19 January 2022. Standing at full height, I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). IS 400. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:52:04am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: upper center Zone AF-C performed very well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image #3: Brown Pelican vertical front-end flight take-off
Head Angle (Very) Fine Point
In the When Something Unexpected Happens blog post here, I wrote, with regards to the image above, Only one tiny thing bugs me about this image and keeps it from being perfect. If you think that you know what it is, please leave a comment.
Though the pelican’s head is pretty much square to the sensor, i.e., to the back of the camera, it is slightly turned away from the line of its body. For me, that makes it a poor head angle.
To better explain. The bird’s body in flight is angled slightly toward me. Imagine yourself in a helicopter well above the bird. Now draw a line from the center of the bird’s tail to the top of its head. In a perfect world, the tip of the bill would be on the same line. It is however, turned slightly away. Yes, that is a very fine point, but it bugged me. What was the cause? The wind was from the northeast and that determined the light path as it lifted off into the breeze. The bird, however, was just beginning to turn left heading for the feeding spree to the southwest … So it goes.
Re-writing for Clarity
Thanks to David Policansky (AKA Doctor Fish)
In the Understanding Depth-of-Field with Telephoto Lenses blog post here, I wrote:
If you are at a given aperture and focal length the d-o-f will be identical only if and when the subject is the same size in the frame. So if you are at 400mm and you get twice as close to the bird, the d-o-f will be identical; only the angle of view will change. Your frame will include much more background at the shorter focal length; the image will look totally different, but the degree of sharpness of the background will be identical.
If you are photographing a given bird in a given situation with the same rig at the same aperture and you zoom out, d-o-f will increase dramatically according to the laws of optics as we saw above. And the same is true if you move away from the subject; d-o-f is a function of the distance to the subject: the closer you are, the less the d-o-f. And the farther away you are, the greater the d-o-f.
David Policansky/February 1, 2022 at 10:57am
Artie: I am having a hard time understanding this from you. Is there another way to say it? “If you are at a given aperture and focal length the d-o-f will be identical only if and when the subject is the same size in the frame. So if you are at 400mm and you get twice as close to the bird, the d-o-f will be identical; only the angle of view will change. Your frame will include much more background at the shorter focal length; the image will look totally different, but the degree of sharpness of the background will be identical.”
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART: February 1, 2022 at 8:48pm
Hey David, I see that the problem is with some poor writing by me. I need to hit the sack and will get back to you with a re-write soon.
with love, artie
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART/February 2, 2022 at 6:34am
Hey David, Is this any better:
If you are at a given aperture and work at two different focal lengths, the d-o-f will be identical if and only if the subject is the exact same size in the frame. If you are at 400mm and you get twice as close to the bird working at 200mm, the d-o-f will be identical.
The angle of view, however, will change. Your frame will include much more background at the shorter focal length; being a lot wider, the image will look totally different, but the degree of sharpness of the background will be identical.
LMK if that works and I will go back and change the text in the blog post. If not, call me this afternoon 🙂
thanks with love, artie
David Policansky/February 2, 2022 at 3:16pm
Thanks, Artie. That’s clear, but as you would say, only 100%. 🙂 David
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
